Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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NICWEISHAR TIGHT END 6-4 • 215 MARIST H.S. MIDLOTHIAN, ILL. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 213 5 9 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 274 5 10 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 7 13 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ — 13 — STATISTICS • Illinois' all-time prep receptions leader with 252 catches for 3,238 yards (12.7 yards per reception) and 28 touchdowns. • Finished 2013 with 86 catches for 1,044 yards and 10 scores, grabbed 89 passes for 1,034 yards and five touchdowns in 2012, and snared 77 catches for 1,160 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2011. • Averaged 14.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game through this January in basketball. Sat out junior year because of shoulder surgery after football season. He averaged 13.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game as a sophomore, and 10.0 points and 7.9 rebounds per contest as a freshman. HONORS • Named to the Parade All-America team on of- fense. • Tabbed as a first-team MaxPreps All-American. • Selected first-team all-state by the Chicago Tri- bune as a junior and senior, and was a second-team performer as a sophomore. • A two-time first-team Illinois Football Coaches As- sociation 8A All-State honoree and an 8A Academic All-State pick as a senior. • Selected for MaxPreps' 2012 Junior All-America first team. • Named the Southtown Star 2013 Player of the Year as a senior. • Picked as the East Suburban Catholic Conference Offensive Player of the Year as a junior and senior. ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Selected to and played in the U.S. Army All- America Game Jan. 4 in San Antonio, but did not record any stats. • Attended Notre Dame's summer football camp prior to his sophomore season. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame April 24, 2013. • Originally offered by in-state Northwestern and Illinois before the Irish, Michigan and Ohio State joined the fray. • Primary recruiter was former offensive coordina- tor/quarterbacks coach Chuck Martin, now the head coach at Miami (Ohio). • Official visit to South Bend was on Dec. 13, 2013, for the Football Awards Show. NOTABLE • Born on Sept. 19, 1995. • Plans to enroll in the Mendoza College of Business. 2014 PROJECTION • Will vie for playing time during his first season in South Bend. THEY SAID IT Brian Kelly's Comments: "He's the finest pass- catching tight end that we saw. You could argue about who it is, but we think he is. We love his ball skills, we love his ability to use his body to control defenders, has a knack of catching the football in the air and taking it away from people. "He's a guy that will have a great career here at Notre Dame. He's got that model and size that we've had here at Notre Dame." Tom Lemming Of Prep Football Report: "A mis- match for everybody in high school because of his height, reach and leaping ability. Unbelievably soft hands. He would definitely benefit with a redshirt year. He needs to get more muscular and add about 20 pounds, because he's got to learn block- ing schemes and techniques."